A better life than this
by Le plus Petit Prince
Summary: Sasuke can't help but get the boy that he ran into off his mind. Especially after he finds out how powerful the boy really is. He wants nothing more than to make this boys problems go away, to give him a better life than this. Warnings inside: BL.
1. Chapter 1

_Warnings- _AU, Yaoi, boy love, BL, crack world(meaning I kinda make it up in my own way, so it doesn't really follow any period of time), I'm thinking of adding a smut maybe, maybe cursing, also...it will be really really long  
_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Naruto. I do not own the characters. Trust me...you do not want to know what would happen if I did XDD

* * *

The idea of waking up and doing what he usually does everyday was rather boring to the young hyuuga. He sighed and sat up in his bed to look around the room that, although was bigger than should be for someone his age, was boring. He had seen it a thousand times and no matter what he did to it, change the color or change the decorations, it was still the most boring room he had ever had the pleasantry to walk into. He heard a knock to the door and glared at it for a moment, 'Maybe they'll leave if I glare at it hard enough...' he thought as he didn't say anything. The boy was going for the plan to make them think he was still asleep and to come bother him when he was _actually_ needed. But unfortunetly he heard the knocking again accompanied with,

"Open the door, Neji. I know you're awake." Neji groaned as loud he could to let the person at the door show that he was not only awake but that he was letting them come in and he wasn't liking the idea very much. The door opened and a short-haired young man that was dressed well walked in. He walked over to Neji's bedside and said, "It is well past midday, you should be up and ready to walk around the palace..."

"I wish I could sleep _all_ day." Neji said, not once looking at the man. Clearly Neji wanted the man to leave and let him sleep all day but that never happened. No matter how many times he said it.

"You know I can't do that. Especially not on the day you have an appointment with the doctor."

"Oh? I forgot about my appointment, that changes everything! I'll be ready real quick, just wait a moment." The man sighed and said 'alright' before leaving Neji's room. Neji stood out of bed and decided that even though he wasn't looking forward to his time with the doctor he _was _looking forward to a plan he had been thinking of ever since the young man reminded him of his trip to the commoners quarters.

* * *

When Neji was ready he stepped out of the room and was met with his sister, Hinata.

"Oh hello Hinata, what are you doing today?"

"Nothing Neji-nii...I have to look through some suitors but I don't want them." She grimaced slightly and so did Neji. They both hated this new idea of their fathers that he would just marry them off to people even richer than him and make more money. He also wanted to give his fortune off to Neji and his future wife.

"Neji-nii I overheard father saying-" Hinata trailed off when she heard footsteps and Neji resisted shaking her for the continuation. When they turned, Hinata a little red because she thought this person overheard them, they were met with the young man again.

"Good morning, general-san." Hinata said with a slight bow and the young man bowed back.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan. How are you?"

"Just fine, I will not be coming with you guys to the doctor's. I have suitors to look through. So i'll be leaving now," she bowed to both of them individually and turned to leave while calling over her shoulder, "goodbye!" Neji scowled at being alone with the general, he didn't like this man. This man was the righthand man to his father. The only guy he hated more than the general.

"Come on Neji, we can't be late like last time." The general turned around and began walking down the hall, knowing that Neji would follow whether he wanted to or not. He heard Neji huff in annoyance and then begin to follow him.

"Neji, what's wrong?"

"I hate you, that's what's wrong. I hate general Izuro." The general sighed but never stopped walking.

"I'm sorry you hate me, young heir, but there's nothing you can do about how I am your personal servant."

"I wish I could have you fired." The general didn't sigh or do anything at all about what Neji said because Neji said this all the time and by now the general knew there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

"Neji, you certainly wore something out of the ordinary today." Stated the doctor as Neji sat on a bed with his shirt off. Neji scoffed and the doctor handed him some tea.

"Yeah, i'm planning on seperating from the stupid general later..."

"You can't do that. You'll get people murdered by doing that."

"I know, but don't I deserve to go out and some fun by myself? I mean no one else has someone that follows them everywhere they go and watches everything they do. It's only me."

"Yeah and it's only you that has buckets of money." The doctor examined Neji after he drank the tea and said, "You shouldn't feel that much, it's the same kind as before so you should have built tolerance by now...yet you're face is still red. Do you feel anything?"

"Y-Yeah...I might have to sleep here a bit...my stomach hurts."

"Hm, okay. Sleep here, i'll wake you in a few and you can sneak out the back or something. Have fun."

"Thanks Ginji..." Neji lay down on the bed and sighed as he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. He fell asleep wondering what he was going to do on his free time.


	2. Chapter 2

Neji woke up much later and sat up with a sigh. As he pinched the bridge of his nose he noticed that he couldn't find Ginji anywhere, which was completely fine considering he already knew where the back door was. He was hoping the general wouldn't realize he left and come looking for him before he could find a hiding place. He stood up and made his way to the door as quiet as he could. He slipped out after grabbing the nearest cloak he could and pulling it over himself.

He walked around the back and looked around noticing that the general was gone, 'What a waste, acting like you care about if I run away or not and you aren't even here to notice?' Neji scoffed. He stopped trying to hide, deciding it would be easier to pull the hood over his head. He didn't like how worn out the cloak was be he didn't want to take any chances coming back to find a new one. He turned to start walking out in broad daylight when he caught sight of the general and made a slight gasp. He turned back into the alley he was hiding in and decided it would be an easier getaway if he just went out the other way so he turned around and ran out.

Neji kept looking back and didn't see the general for a few blocks until he turned a corner and almost ran smack into an out of breath general. Unfortunetly, Izuro recognized him and tried to grab him to make sure he didn't run away but missed and grabbed nothing as Neji turned and ran. He kept looking back and noticed the general took his time getting up, 'He must think it will be easy to catch me, how egotistical of him.' He turned a corner into another alleyway and ran smack into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" a man shouted at him. Neji looked up but decided to keep his face hidden, he didn't want to be recognized and turned in.

"Please hide me..." Neji mumbled, he also didn't want his voice to be recognized but he then wondered how anyone would recognize a voice they've never heard. He barely saw the man's confused face and sighed as he tried to get up as fast he could. If this guy wasn't going to hide him then he had to get moving. But before he could run away the guy grabbed his wrist and pushed him behind him,

"Hide behind me." Neji aligned his heels with the guy and kept his hands to his chest and his eyes closed. He heard the general run up moments later and say, "Have you seen someone run through here? It's a guy with really long brown hair and he looks thin for his age. He might be hiding his looks under a torn up brown cloak?"

"Nope, haven't seen anyone like that. I haven't noticed anyone around me really. To busy thinking hard..." Neji could hear the smirk in the other guy's voice and he imagined the general must be fuming.

"Well," the general ground out, patience lost, "If you do, come and find me. It's important." The general left after that, running in a new direction and Neji let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stepped away from the man and turned around to see what he looked like. He found that it wasn't a fully grown man like he pictured but a younger man or a teen. He had jet-black hair that stuck up and Neji pondered for a moment how he was able to get it to do that. The guy just stared back awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say.

"Er, my name is Sasuke. Yours?"

"Neji."

"Ah."

Sasuke kind of awkwardly waved bye and turned to leave before Neji finally came back from zoning out and said, "Wait!" Sasuke froze. He didn't know what this Neji was planning.

"Can I come with you? Wherever it is you are going?"

"Uh, sure?" Sasuke sounded like he didn't want Neji to come but Neji didn't notice. He just wanted to latch on to someone like Sasuke who was able to lie to someone who could kill him on the spot.

* * *

Neji really began to think this was a bad idea when he realized Sasuke had been walking in no general direction for a really long time now. He began to get thoughts of running off with some lame excuse, until Sasuke started down towards the river. He decided to keep following him because he had nothing better to do- it wasn't like he wanted to know where Sasuke was going or anything.

After a while of walking he saw someone sitting near the edge in the distance. 'Sasuke must know him or something...' Neji thought because Sasuke was walking straight for this guy. The guy -a red head- waved when they neared him. Neji didn't wave but Sasuke did, Neji just didn't think it would be right since he didn't know this man.

"Hey Sasuke, what's up?" The red-head looked over Sasuke's shoulder and noticed Neji with a raise of his eyebrows. "Whose this?"

"Oh nothing much. Itachi is really bearing down on me lately with annoying questions..." the red-head stood and smirked when he heard the name, "oh and this is Neji..." he pointed to Neji and the red-head nodded.

"My name is Gaara, Neji." He smirked at Neji and Neji felt a little heat come to his cheeks. But he willed it away because he didn't want to embaress himself.

"Hello Gaara..."

"Hello? Isn't that a little formal? Oh well...so how did you meet Sasuke?" Sasuke scoffed at this and Gaara eyed him.

"We didn't meet. Some guy was looking for him and I hid him. Afterwards he asked to hang out with me..." Gaara then looked over at Neji and opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it. He smirked and finally asked, "Why was some guy looking for you?"

"Well about that..." Neji began but didn't get to finish as he saw Sasuke go a little wide-eyed and he felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder and jerk him around.

"Where the hell have you been Neji? I have been looking everywhere for you! Your father is pissed!" Izuro (sorry if this isn't his name, I seem to have forgotten it and I don't feel like looking back) yelled at him. Neji scowled at him and calmy replied,

"I don't care. In fact, I hope you finally get fired. Now leave me alone..."

"Hinata is looking for you too...and your father wouldn't just fire me he would have my head! Please come back you have worried everyone!" Neji looked back at Sasuke and Gaara and then back at Izuro. He nodded his head with a huff of annoyance and then said,

"As long as I have permission to do this tomorrow and whenever I want." Izuro gawked at him and shook his head furiously.

"Hell no! Your father is very strict about this kind of thing! Besides, you have suitors to look at tommorow." Neji looked at Sasuke and Gaara and smiled at their mixed confusion.

"Do you guys mind if I hang out tomorrow?" The boys looked at each other and nodded slightly. They really didn't know what to say, think, or do anymore.

"Perfect! I'm coming back tomorrow~!" He smiled at them warmly and turned to leave. "Come on general Izuro...as much as I hate you I need you there when I tell father of what I want to do tomorrow."

The boys eyes went wide and Sasuke's mouth went dry when it donned on them. That was GENERAL Izuro. Meaning he could have not only killed Sasuke but Gaara as well if they crossed him and no one would think twice. But the fact that Neji could command the general like that and not get killed meant the general either had a massive crush on Neji or Neji was of royal decent.

They decided it was the royal decent choice and Sasuke promptly fainted.


	3. Chapter 3

"Neji, what makes you think I'll let you go and hang around by yourself down there? Don't you know how dangerous it is for someone of your status...? I won't allow it." Neji's father growled at him, upon hearing Neji's request to do whatever he wanted unsupervised. Actually, before he even said anything at all he laughed at the boy. Neji couldn't believe how un-fair that was and was about to get angry and talk back when General Izuro cut in.

"Sir, I believe Neji should be allowed to do this. However, unsupervised is a stretch...maybe you could send someone down with Neji? To watch him and make sure nothing bad happens?"

"Hmm..." he considered this for a moment before waving his hand as if he didn't care about the conversation anymore. "I don't care very much for this topic anymore. Fine, let Neji do what he wants." Neji was about to smile as wide as he could before his father continued with, "however, I want someone to go with him...hmm, how about Izuro."

Both Neji and Izuro expressed how much they hated this silently, only letting the emotions play on their faces rather than speak back to his lordship.

"It's settled then, Neji can do what he wants as long as the general is with him." he dismissed Neji and with a huff the boy turned and walked down the hallway. He didn't care about this at all. He lost the general's trailing watchdog scent, he could do it again. He was just happy that he could go and see Sasuke and Gaara again.

* * *

After Neji ate a silent lunch with his sister and the general, he was supposed to see his father again but he couldn't really think of anything else other than his plans for that afternoon. He had it in his head like this: eat, say no to every suitor brought before him but pretend as if he considered them for a short moment, then go down to the commons and separate from the general to find his new friends. He smirked to himself knowing that his little visits to the commons would cut into the general's alone time. Neji really enjoyed it when Izuro wasn't happy and he could _really _tell that this bothered the general.

"Neji, please don't just say no to every girl brought before you. It really angers your father to no end and I think he is planning to take drastic measures..." the general ground out each word so that Neji would understand the full extent of what he meant. Neji understood but didn't care, his father would never hurt him in any way if anyone was going to get hurt for this constant stubbornness it would be the general. '_Which is the only reason this fool really cares..._' thought Neji.

"I consider each one carefully. I am not just going to choose some boring as hell person to spend the rest of my life with..." when really, Neji just didn't want to spend eternity with a woman.

"Look, if it's really that much of a problem then no one will care, not even your wife, if you have several bed mates as well! You can have a wife for formalities and then you can sleep with a different woman each night!" Neji scoffed at how disgusting that sounded.

"Perfect! Not only do I have to deal with one terrible to live with hag I get a different one each night! How wonderful that sounds!" the sarcasm was as plain as day and it ended the conversation as there was nothing else to say.

They made it to the main room and Neji wasn't greeted by some women who looks like she spent days doing her make-up and choosing _just _the right clothing, instead he was just greeted by his father and sister.

"Neji, my son, today you do not need to worry about suitors and making yourself look nice for another family and woman. Instead I want you to just go out and have fun with your new found friends in the commons..." his father said with no hint of deceit or anything else. It still made Neji suspicious.

"Why...?"

"No reason Neji, none at all. Today I'm just focusing on Hinata so I don't really need you hanging around if there is no reason for you to be." Neji still wouldn't take this as an answer. His father was notorious for deceit.

"Father, I must politely ask that you tell me what your plan is."

"Son, I must politely tell you that if you don't get out of this room right now, I'll see to it that you are never allowed back to the commons again." His father was clearly losing patience. So Neji bowed his head and left, the general was silent the whole time and seemed to show no emotion while that was going on. Neji decided that he would dig the general for information later, right now though, he had to go find Sasuke and Gaara.

* * *

When Neji found some clothing that wouldn't make him look too rich he left for the commons. He tried just leaving without the general but the second he left his room Izuro was on him like the faithful dog he is and wouldn't leave for any reason at all. Neji had a plan anyway, so he wasn't crying in defeat just yet.

"Izuro, I need to stop by the doctor's for a moment...would that be okay?"

"Hmm...whatever..." Neji celebrated silent victory at how the general was zoned out of the whole situation. He wanted his alone time so it was clearly obvious that he was going to get it one way or the other.

They made it to the doctor's house, with Neji so much more excited than his usual trips that he enjoyed the walk even more than usual. The general was ready to kill himself at the fact that Neji wouldn't shut up the entire time. '_Perfect, my plan is working perfect!_', thought Neji. They entered and were greeted with Ginji who was surrounded by bottles and bottles of alcohol.

"Neji! How good to see you~" said a cheery Ginji, who offered Neji something to drink and Neji just shook his head. "So, why are you here...it's not your usual check-up day...is something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering if you had anything in that pile of booze for my _dear old _friend here..." Neji said with sarcasm on the words 'dear old'. Izuro got angry and was about to protest when he noticed his favorite cheap bottle of alcohol on a dresser. He made a beeline to it and picked it up,

"...May I?" said the general, disbelief that he could find this again.

"Of course, drink as much as you like. In fact...you can be my drinking buddy until Neji gets back, how does that sound?" Izuro put the bottle down, in refusal due to orders he was given to watch Neji like a hawk but Ginji continued, "You can't go around drinking that in public at this hour, general."

With that said, the general just waved Neji goodbye and grabbed the bottle again, sitting next to Ginji to get ready for a long day of drinking. Neji wanted to cry at how perfect this plan was and he just had to find a way to thank Ginji later.

* * *

Neji trailed along the river, since it was the last place he could think to look for them. He tried everywhere and figured it would be better to just look in the last place he saw them. He wanted to cry at the thought of never finding or seeing them again but he still didn't give up. '_What if they are hiding from me because they don't want to be friends with me? What if they find me annoying because I want to be friends with them and they don't?' _Neji thought as he decided to give up. He turned around and started walking back along the river to the path. So he could go home and sit in solitude until the day his father gets fed up with having him around and marries him off against his will. He wanted to cry until he heard,

"Neji!" A smile broke across his face and he spun around to see Gaara and Sasuke in the direction he just turned from. He ran over to them and said, "Hello, Gaara, Sasuke." while nodding to them.

"What are you doing down here? Did your father say it was okay to hang out with us down here?" asked Gaara, ready to turn and run if Neji tells them his father said no and he actually snuck out.

"Of course he said it was okay. Although, he seemed as if there was something he had planned for me...in return for me going down here. " Neji said, remembering when his father sent him away. He was now very curious to find out what his father was planning.

"Well, it's not like he can have you killed. You are the only son and heir." Sasuke said with a chuckle, which causes Gaara and Neji to laugh a little too. When they were finished laughing at this dark joke they all sat down on the grass. The conversation had a slow start but when it got going everyone was joking and talking. Although it was mostly Sasuke and Gaara since Neji didn't want to talk about himself. He didn't want his friends to become jealous and hate him. Whenever they would ask him a question he would beat around the bush with the answer and then change the subject.

"Why don't you answer our questions?" Sasuke asked, finally losing patience.

"Well I just...I don't know...I don't really like talking about myself."

Gaara cut in, "Well, friendship isn't a one-way street. You can't get to know us and then let us know nothing about you, that ruins the whole point of us all being friends." knowing that if he didn't say it then Sasuke would say it. But Sasuke wouldn't say it in a calm manner, he would be rude about it.

"Oh well...then ask me questions and i'll answer. But I won't if I find them to be personal."

"You find all our questions to be personal..." mumbled Sasuke before he asked, "What do you think of the general?"

"Anyone can see that I hate that man. All he ever does is breath down my shoulder and invade my privacy. Ever since we were little that was all he was good for and that was all he ever did. I know I shouldn't hate him like that because I know he means well and really cares for me like no one has ever before...but I just hate him so much."

"Was he always like that? Since you knew him when you were younger." asked Gaara.

"No...when we were younger he was fun and we would play games together until I turned eight. Then I didn't see him for a week and when he came back he wasn't fun anymore and he was always serious. He started getting into my business all the time and watching everything I did. Making sure I was never alone and what not." he sighed and then bit his lip, "Ask something else."

Sasuke and Gaara nodded a moment before thinking of what to ask next, "What do you think of Hinata?" Gaara finally asked, only knowing Hinata's name from hearing it on the streets.

"We are the only siblings we have, so we love each other to death. I thank every moment of my life that I don't have any half-siblings, uh, that I know of. I think out of the both of us, she hates these marriage arrangements the most. She has no choice in the matter, when she is sent to a room to talk with the person and get to know them it's not to see if she likes them...it's to give father time to see if he likes how much money they have. I think that now that we have started this marriage search she has started resenting me. She resents me because I can just choose who I want." Neji sighed.

"Must suck..." said Gaara.

"It does...just curious but...do you guys have marriage arrangements?"

"Sometimes, it's more free than yours though. Ours usually happens when we stay single too long or our parents find someone with a lot of money to marry us off to. But the second one is usually for women." Gaara chuckled, not wanting to brag but feeling the only answer to Neji's question was bragging.

"Well, must be nice." mumbled Neji.

"What?"

"Being able to fall in love." Gaara and Sasuke burst out laughing when Neji said this and he pouted at the two of them. Then he joined in the laughter and when it died down they forgot why they started laughing in the first place.

* * *

The conversation continued just like before but this time Neji was answering questions back, finding that instead of being jealous the two boys wanted to know more and more about him. He actually enjoyed not being able to make someone jealous and hate him for the first time ever. When the conversation started to die down and they were about to sit in a comfortable silence they all heard,

"Neji, come on. We need to get going." Neji turned around and upon seeing the general he scowled but stood up anyway. The other two stood us as well, almost as if they wanted to follow so they could keep talking.

"I hate you general...why can't you just stay with Ginji and continue getting drunk?"

"Because, I can't show up drunk in front of your father. He wishes to speak with me later and it would be rude of me to show up wasted."

"I don't think it is, hell, it might even be my dream come true!" Neji said with mock excitement in his voice.

"What would be? Me talking to your father drunk off my ass?"

"No, it might get you fired!" Neji ignored the scowl from Izuro and turned to the other two, "I'll see you both tomorrow then. Sorry I can't stay longer."

"It's fine, Neji, we understand. Just don't expect us out here about the same time everyday. We finished work early today." Sasuke said to make sure Neji didn't think they were ditching him the next day.

"Okay then," Neji said before turning back to the general, "Let's get going, Izuro, you have to speak with father and I have to find and speak with Hinata."

Neji and Izuro turned and left, back to the main path that would lead them to the palace(1) again. Sasuke and Gaara chuckled at how Neji was right, the general was making sure Neji didn't get out of his sight by following behind him like a dog.

They both suddenly wanted to know Neji's entire life story, to know more about this general.

* * *

(1) I said palace, even though I don't want to SAY palace. I just can't think of anything else to say...


End file.
